A well written , tense suspense. This is the first of Bishop's novels that I have read and I really enjoyed the way she writes. Its elegant and really beautiful and there some passages that deserved to be reread.

Novelist JB and her former professor and successful film maker and much older husband, Patrick are on a cruise to celebrate their anniversary. JB's star is on the rise whereas in the past she would have been in the shadow of Patricks fame and success. The first few days of their trip pass as expected and then a storm hits, Patrick falls overboard and JB is alone. Grief stricken, JB 's reflects on all that has lead to where she is now.

I really liked this. I loved the writing and the exploration of a marriage. It pulled me in straight away but then lost me at points along the way. I think it might have been too long for me my interest waned at parts but the strenght of the writing kept me reading. Overall yes I would recommend and I was a bit torn on my rating of this one.

I deducted half a star just because the pace became uneven the further the book went on. Beautiful writing and I am going to read some of Bishop's earlier books on the strengt of this one.

3.5 stars

A really well written read that had me feeling uneasy and had the hairs on the back of my neck standing up.A gripping and atmopsheric read

The novel is a beautifully crafted character study, with Bishop delving deep into the inner lives and histories of her characters.

I wish that I had liked the main characters more. If I had I would have probably been more invested in what happened to them, as it was I was quite switched off, and not bothered.

This novel gets very quickly into the meat of the action, where Lucie’s husband Patrick is lost at sea on their anniversary cruise, but it then meanders back and forth in time to give context to their relationship. There’s a good story in here, and a pleasingly unreliable narrator, but I saw one of the surprise twists coming a mile off, and found a lot of the discussion around the protagonist’s work as a writer of autofiction to be pretty boring and introspective after a while, even though I usually like books where the main character is a writer.

JB is novel writer and about to win a major award,her older husband, Patrick is her ex lecturer and a celebrated film maker. On the surface they are a "golden couple" who decide to take a cruise. for their wedding anniversary but a sudden storm hits and a drunken, argumentative Patrick won't obey the advice to stay below decks and is found to be missing when the storm blows over. Gradually, the reality of their life together is revealed.

Thew riter build up a sense of forebosing even before the couple embark on their cruise and whilst I found the prose to be elegant it really didn't connect with me. I also disliked the couple and found it hard to be concerned for them.

The Anniversary by Stephanie Bishop is a captivating novel about the power dynamics in a relationship and about the process of writing.

Stephanie Bishop’s new novel sees a golden couple celebrating their wedding anniversary on a cruise interrupted by a devastating event.
J.B. and Patrick have navigated their way through a rocky patch in their marriage. Patrick is a celebrated filmmaker in his early sixties. Once his student, J.B.’s a successful novelist writing fiction that draws on her own life. Used to the glaring spotlight of fame, these two enjoy the relaxation of days on deck but when the ship is hit by a violent storm, they’re quarrelling about the deeply personal author’s note she’s added to her latest novel. Patrick ignores both the broadcast advice to remain below deck and J.B.’s urgent pleas for him to come back to their cabin, disappearing overboard. Dazed and confused by shock, J.B. makes her statement to the Japanese police.
I’m a little wary of giving too much away about this novel as part of its enjoyment is the gentle clicking into place of small details dropped into J.B.’s story. There’s a good deal of disquisition on the process of writing fiction, the blurring of personal, intimate detail with creativity without permission, all delivered in elegant prose although a little wordier than my usual taste. It’s an absorbing novel, full of memories, contemplation and reflection, all within a shifting narrative which sometimes brings you up short. I found it quite addictive, speeding through it much faster than I’d expected.

Rounding up to 3 stars

I didnt quite click with this book.
Whilst I found the story itself interesting, I wasn't so sure on the writing style.
I found it distracting.
I'm not the right audience for this book.